In the average American’s day-to-day living, many things are taken for granted, like receiving mail. But, for the nation’s armed services personnel stationed overseas, mail often is seen as a luxury.

Recently a local 4-H group went to work to insure that some lucky soldiers around the world would be receiving plenty of treasure courtesy of the United States Postal Service and the historical Friends of Our Troops mail program.

The Jolly Jacks and Jills 4-H group under the direction of leader Sarah Childress completed a letter-writing campaign as part of the most recent mail campaign conducted by Friends of Our Troops.

“We have participated the past two years, sending Christmas cards to the troops and we are currently working on this year’s holiday greetings,” Childress stated. “We generally send a hundred or more cards and every year we get several responses from the men and women in the service that have received our support. The kids really enjoy getting the mail back and seeing how their work has touched someone else.”

Back on Independence Day, during his speech at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., President George Bush urged Americans to “write a letter” as a way of supporting troops.

“We’re happy to break the news that members of Friends of Our Troops have a four-decade head start on this idea,” said G.B. Wiser, executive director of the group. “Since the founding of Vietnam Mail Call in 1965, many millions of pieces of fan mail have been sent to our troops, both at home and abroad.”

The program is supported by individuals, families, churches, schools and countless other civic groups and organizations all across the nation, preparing cards and letters. The current drive, Christmas 2005 fan mail, is focusing on the upcoming holidays.

Mail is currently being received at the Friends of Our Troops headquarters in Fayetteville, NC. The mail is thoroughly mixed then prepared into thousands of packages to be sent out. The fan mail goes to every branch of the armed services, Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard regardless of where they are stationed.

Family members can request fan mail for their serviceman or woman by sending the individual’s name, complete military mailing address along with the writer’s information. Send requests to Friends of Our Troops, PO Box 65408, Fayettville, NC 28306-5408 or go to www.troopfanmail.net on the net for more information.